Chapter 8: Little Annie

Seeing that the girl was alone, Tang Feng walked over and kneeled in front of her. Looking at her eye to eye, he said in a gentle voice, “Hi, I’m Tang Feng. What are you doing here alone?”

The little girl stared at him with her tear-streaked face. Far away, the girl’s eyes had appeared black, but kneeling right in front of her, Tang Feng could see that her eyes were actually brown. Her large eyes were filled with tears. Blinking at Tang Feng, the tears in her eyes overflowed and streaked down her cheeks. “Daddy’s gone. Annie and Daddy lost each other.” Like her appearance, her childishly high voice was also adorable.

The park wasn’t big. The girl’s father was probably looking for her right this moment. Tang Feng thought he could probably help her find her father as well.

Tang Feng comforted the child and soon she started laughing. While he was happy that she wasn’t crying anymore, he was also worried that she had opened up to a stranger so quickly. If someone with ill intentions had come across her instead, she would surely have been kidnapped. Forget it. This conversation could be saved for when he comes across Annie’s father.

If the girl’s father noticed that his daughter was gone, he should be retracing his steps right now. Rather than running all over the park, it would be smarter for them to stay right where they were. Tang Feng sat with the little girl on one of the park benches and waited together with her.

Annie was adorable. Although she was young, her looks were as delicate as a Barbie doll’s. Westerners were all rather adorable at a young age, but it was rare to come across a child as beautiful as Annie. Her parents were definitely attractive people as well. Judging from the clothes she was wearing, her family was also quite well-off.

Looking at Annie, he was reminded of himself. It was hard for him not to pity her. As he had lived a loveless childhood, after growing up, he couldn’t resist the tenderness that welled up inside him whenever he saw a detached or frail child. To keep Annie calm, Tang Feng tried talking with her. “Annie, what games do you like to play?”

The girl raised her hand and said excitedly, “I like playing Truth or Dare with Daddy the most. Mister, you can play with Annie too! Annie will start first!”

“Okay,” Tang Feng agreed.

“Mister, do you have someone you like? Like how Daddy likes Mommy.” Annie blinked her big eyes at Tang Feng. Her innocent appearance prevented Tang Feng from guessing at the meaning of her question.

“Ah…Not right now,” Tang Feng answered after thinking for a bit.

There were people he was interested in, but it was too soon to talk about having a serious relationship with anyone. Tang Feng would never lie to a child, so he spoke the truth.

“It’s my turn now. How old are you Annie?”

“Annie’s four and a half.” Annie asked another question, “Mister, what type of person do you like?”

“What type of person do I like…” Tang Feng had never thought about it. He paused for a moment, and responded, “Hmm, for appearance, it’s fine as long as I like how they look. As for character, I hope they would be a kind person. Someone with a sunny outlook on life. I also hope they have the same values as me.”

“Mister, you’re such a good person. Can we be friends?”

“Of course, I would love to be friends with Annie.” Faced with an innocent child, Tang Feng couldn’t resist a smile. The world of adults was complicated and full of twists and turns. Only children could have such pure looks in their eyes; they were lovable at first glance.

“You have to pinkie promise!” Annie blinked and held out her pinkie, a look of excitement on her face.

At that moment, they heard the anxious call of a man. “Annie! My god. Daddy finally found you.”

Looking at the man who had appeared at the edge of the thicket, Tang Feng stood up and pulled Annie along with him. The girl appeared a bit disgruntled. Tang Feng said quietly, “Annie, is he your daddy? Go to him.”

Keeping her head down, a look of despise flashed across Annie’s eyes. When she looked up, only innocence could be found again. She looked at Tang Feng, and then at the man who was running toward her. Finally, she chose to run to her father.

“Yes, it’s all Daddy’s fault. Annie, please don’t be angry with Daddy, okay?” Catching his daughter in a hug, the man smiled at Tang Feng. “Thank you for taking care of my daughter.”

“It’s not a problem. I’m glad to help.”

Tang Feng then conversed a bit more with Annie’s father. He expressed his worry and hoped that Annie’s father could take care of the little girl better. He should teach Annie that it wasn’t right to talk with strangers so easily. The purpose of instilling vigilance in Annie wasn’t to destroy her innocence, but to raise her guard as a child who was incapable of defending herself.

As Annie wanted to be friends with him, Tang Feng ended up giving them his address and phone number as well before they left.

When Lu Tian Chen came to find him, Annie and her father were just leaving.

“Who are they?” Looking at the retreating figures, Lu Tian Chen frowned. He wasn’t too happy at the moment. Someone had brushed against his car in the parking lot just now, because of that, he had wasted so much time. Glancing at the father-daughter pair, Lu Tian Chen instinctively felt that something was off.

“They are Little Annie and her father.” Tang Feng quickly recounted the details of their encounter to Lu Tian Chen.

“They look like a strange pair. You should be wary of them. Don’t regard everybody around you as friends,” Lu Tian Chen concluded bluntly.

Was this youngster who wasn’t even thirty trying to educate an old fox like him? Tang Feng objected to Lu Tian Chen’s warning. Annie was an adorable child. He could believe it if it were an adult in question, but an innocent child couldn’t have any ulterior motives.

Moreover, he didn’t have any money, power, or enemies at the moment. He was also in America. Who would chase him all the way to America to take revenge on him?

“You’re overthinking it. Annie’s a little girl. Stop viewing her with your cruel businessman eyes.” Tang Feng was slightly unhappy. Lu Tian Chen was a good businessman, but that didn’t conflict with the fact that Tang Feng didn’t like parts of Lu Tian Chen’s personality. He didn’t have the right to critique the other, but he had the right to voice out his displeasure.

“Are you dissatisfied with me?”

“No, I simply think you can treat the people around you more kindly. Don’t think that every single person who’s trying to become closer to you has ill intentions.”

“Would you uproot a whole garden of roses just because one had stung your hand?” Tang Feng shot back. The world wasn’t perfect, but so what? Nothing was perfect. If people chose to focus on someone’s shortcomings instead of strengths, then it would bring them nothing other than suffering. There was an old saying: The world didn’t lack beauty, only the eyes to find it.

It was normal for people to be on guard against strangers, but going overboard wasn’t good.

Tang Feng thought Lu Tian Chen would argue back. Either that or the atmosphere would dwindle into awkward silence. But Lu Tian Chen merely glanced at him and said softly, “I was only worried about you.”

Tang Feng was suddenly speechless.

“Let’s go back after walking around for a bit.” Tang Feng forced out a sentence after a long while. Lu Tian Chen was going against the rules. He wasn’t used dealing with such a logical Lu Tian Chen.

“Okay, tell me more about what happened earlier. About your new friend, Little Annie.”

♦

A black car was parked on the street opposite of the park. It couldn’t be a more common sight in America.

“Go away! You stupid pig!” A cute little girl yelled at the man who was holding her. The man placed her down on the ground and stepped away respectfully. The sight made numerous passersby glance at them. A bodyguard standing near the car pulled open the door to the backseat. The little girl immediately jumped in. Her face didn’t possess any of the innocence that had previously decorated it. Like a little devil, she revealed a proud smile, “Daddy, that Tang is so dumb. He believed everything I said.”

Leaning against the back of the seat, Albert placed down the wineglass he had in his hand. He spread his arms and said, “My little Annie is so smart.”

Annie rushed into his arms. Laughing, she leaned against Albert’s chest. “Daddy, I like him.”

“Is that so? Daddy is the same as Annie. Daddy also likes that dumb man.” Albert smiled at her. “Come, tell Daddy what you two did earlier. How did he respond to the questions Daddy had told you to ask?”

30 Comments so far:

How do I even subscribed to this novel? I can’t even find out where it is, someone help me. I need this like I need BTS’ songs. I want to know when the next updates will be, something like a notification?

How do I even subscribed to this novel? I can’t even find out where it is, someone help me. I need this like I need BTS’ songs. I want to know when the next updates will be, something like a notification?

Littlelier

I feel like a mean person, sorry. *new image update* Thank you so much for this interesting story.

vampiredps

asdfghjkl, this crazy man and his little devil

DMag

Aah i had known she’s albert’s daughter thanks to me itching for reading the spin off while waiting the new updates.
Who tang feng ended up with is also suprisiing xD

Thanks for the updates!!!!!!

yayachan

where you read it?

chensha

others may be like the ending, but i actually kinda hate the ending orz